Chris was born and brought up in the Cynon Valley and studied Biochemistry at Cardiff University. After a PhD investigating the role of calcium signals in regulating cell-to-cell communication, Chris moved into heart research at Cardiff University’s Medical School. Keen to take responsibility for his own mistakes, Chris got a British Heart Foundation Intermediate Fellowship in 2000. Successive BHF Lectureship and Senior Basic Science Research Fellowship awards between 2004 and 2015 funded him to combine new molecular and cellular imaging tools with network theory to explore the links between calcium signaling, cellular behavior and the early events leading to the destruction of normal heart rhythm. As a member of the Molecular Cardiology group, Chris became a Professor at Swansea University’s Medical School in 2017. His research is now focused on investigating the mechanisms that underpin the variability and predictability of response of populations of stem-cell derived heart cells to genetic mutations and drugs. The work will improve therapeutic approaches for tackling genetic and acquired heart disease and is also being incorporated into new frameworks for early drug screening and drug development. He is a Senior Editor of the British Journal of Pharmacology and is a member of the editorial board of Cardiovascular Research, Frontiers in Physiology and Artery Research. Chris currently serves on the grants assessment panel for the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3R).

PM-257Neuroscience

In order to help students understand the biological basis for behavioural neuroscience and neurological disorders, this module seeks to integrate the multidisciplinary sciences - for example, anatomy, physiology and biochemistry - that have combined to build the emerging field of neuroscience. The aim is to gain a mechanistic and holistic knowledge of the nervous system that builds from the molecular, cellular and developmental, to the systems level. In addition to exploring normal function, this module will introduce common disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems in an integrated way. Students will be guided in exploring the scientific evidence around what is known and unknown and will be introduced to current research findings in the scientific literature.

PM-266The Cardiovascular System

Leading on from the first year Human Physiology Module (PM-139), the Cardiovascular Module will introduce and define the fundamental cellular mechanisms that regulate the physiology of healthy cardiovascular function. The Module will describe the processes that allow regular heartbeat and blood vessel function and how perturbations in the systems covered may lead to pathophysiological conditions. There will be an emphasis on experimental approaches used to study the cardiovascular mechanisms described.

PM-304Biomolecular Research Project

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PM-340Being a Medical Scientist

Much of a scientist¿s career is spent writing and speaking about science. The aim of this module is to give students a higher level experience of what being a lead researcher is like, away from the lab bench. Drawing on core knowledge from other modules, students will refine their oral and written communication and learn what leadership skills are needed to succeed in modern science. They will also be challenged to consider ethical aspects of research, including new technologies and the use of animal and human subjects. The module will be highly interactive, taught using informal lectures interspersed with students working in groups. Assessments will include an ethics application, a group Journal Club presentation on a published, peer-reviewed research article, and a mock grant proposal.

PM-344Capstone Project

The aim of this module is to provide a capstone experience to students¿ learning, through participating in their own enquiry-based research project. Depending on the student's employability strand within the programme, the project may be laboratory, data, or education-based, but it will always involve a research question that is drawn from the literature, focused on a topic relevant to medical science. It will ask a novel research question and involve the critical analysis of research findings. Students will refine their oral and written communication skills to a graduate level through creating an introductory presentation on the project background, and a written dissertation and oral presentation on their research conclusions.